“Taking the first step without seeing the whole staircase”: faith in family business leadership in times of adversity

Purpose This study examines how faith influences the coping mechanisms of family business CEOs managing anxiety during times of war and adversity. Design/methodology/approach Using an interpretive, qualitative and longitudinal multiple-case design, the research draws on 30 interviews with leaders of five Lebanese family firms that have endured decades of conflict, economic crises and social upheaval. Findings The findings indicate that faith operates in these cases not only as an individual psychological resource, but also as a family-embedded and organizationally transmitted source of meaning. The study traces how faith informs meaning-making, emotional regulation, moral decision-making and organizational resilience in times of collective uncertainty. Faith helped leaders not only regulate their own anxiety but also frame the business as something to be preserved, transmitted and protected on behalf of both the family and the wider employee community. Originality/value The results extend existing theories by introducing the concept of faith-based legacy stewardship and by positioning faith as a systemic organizational resource that sustains continuity, resilience and meaning across generations and crises.